Brennan Nomination to Head CIA Raises Concerns

White House counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, during a press conference (photo by Carolyn Kaster/AP).

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has expressed concern over the current nominee for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA,) John Brennan, due to his links with torture and disregard for civil liberties:

President Obama this afternoon nominated his counterterrorism advisor John Brennan to become the next director of the CIA. Despite media reports that Brennan continually raised civil liberties concerns within the White House, Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office, said that before confirming Brennan, the Senate should assess the legality of his actions in past leadership positions in the CIA during the early years of the George W. Bush administration, as well as his current role in the ongoing targeted killing program.

“The Senate should not move forward with his nomination until all senators can assess the role of the CIA — and any role by Brennan himself — in torture, abuse, secret prisons, and extraordinary rendition during his past tenure at the CIA, as well as can review the legal authorities for the targeted killing program that he has overseen in his current position,” Murphy said. “This nomination is too important to proceed without the Senate first knowing what happened during Brennan’s tenures at the CIA and the White House, and whether all of his conduct was within the law.”

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“The Senate should not move forward with the nomination of John Brennan until it is clear that he is committed to making sure that the CIA will end its targeted killing program, and agree to work with the Senate Intelligence Committee on the declassification review and disclosure of the committee’s report on the CIA’s past role in torture and abuse,” she said. ”These steps would help assure all Americans that the past wrongs of the CIA have ended, and won’t be brought back.”